Legal fees covered for House of Assembly harassment scandal may double, but who's paying?

Taxpayers will pay at least $55,000 maybe closer to $100,000 for legal fees racked up in the House of Assembly harassment scandal.

Some fees have been approved already, through what the Speaker says isthe "only" process available for reimbursement, butone of the accused, who didn't go that route, says his bills arestill being taken care of.

• Kirby, Joyce demand release of investigation clearing them of harassment

MHA Eddie Joyce who, along with Dale Kirby,was ousted from the Liberal party last spring sayshis roughly $50,000 legal fees are being covered by the Department of Justice.

Kirby, plus the MHAs who made accusations against him and Joyce, had their legal bills paid for through the House of Assembly Management Commission.

The 'only venue'

That group, comprisingthree MHAs in government and three in opposition, makes decisions around how money is spent at the House of Assembly.

When asked about the Department of Justice paying for Joyce, chair of the commission, Perry Trimper, said "I have no idea what you're alleging, I'm sorry."

"I can tell you that the management commission has not reimbursed him and that would be the only venue for him to seek and receive revenue."

Contacted late Thursday evening, the Department of Justice said it would look into Joyce's claim.

But Joyce says it's a done deal.

"They are covered, yeah," he said, in reference to his legal fees.

He said he submitted his application to the Department of Justice the day after he was removed from Cabinet.

"I started out early it was the only avenue available," he said.

"There was no commitment from the Speaker so it was just normal for any Minister to go to the Department of Justice."

Management commission process

The decision to cover the fees for the other four MHAs was approved by the House of Assembly Management Commission during an in-camera meeting in the speaker's boardroom on Jan. 23.

Fees accrued up to Nov. 6, 2018 will be covered.

The total cost breakdown for the legal expenses being covered by the House are as follows:

• Tracey Perry, MHAforFortune Bay-Cape La Hune:$12,502.80.
• Pam Parsons, MHAforHarbour Grace-Port de Grave: $2,219.51.
• Sherry Gambin-Walsh, MHAfor Placentia-St. Mary's: $14,559.00.
• Dale Kirby,MHAfor Mount Scio:$26,277.50.

Months of allegations of bullying and harassment between MHAsled Premier Dwight Ball to hand over the investigation to Bruce Chaulk, thecommissioner oflegislative standards, in May.

The commissiondirected that the decision to pay these legal fees will not be considered a precedent in similar matters. According to the minutes from the Jan. 23 meeting, future policy direction of the management commission on the reimbursement of legal fees will not be constrainedby the commission's decision in this matter.

Joyce was given a deadline of Jan. 31, 2019 in order to be considered for similar legal fee reimbursement.

The two-day waiting period to give effect to commission decisions was also waived during the Jan. 23 meeting.

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